Executive Producer Bernard Jay is proud to announce the completion of casting for South Africa’s first ‘non-replica’, professional production of the legendary disco musical, Saturday Night Fever. “We have an absolutely fabulous, world class company of all South African artists,” says Jay. “The crème-de-la-crème of the amazing pool of musical theatre talent we have in this country.”

Leading the company on stage at the Opera Theatre of the Pretoria State Theatre from September 13th will be Daniel Buys as Tony Manero, Natasha Van Der Merwe as Stephanie Mangano, Matthew Berry as Bobby C, L J Neilson as Annette, Craig Urbani as Frank Manero, Charmaine Weir-Smith as Flo Manero, Bongi Mthombeni as Monty and Kiruna-Lind Devar as Pauline. Also featured in the all-star cast are Joanna Abatzoglou, Cameron Botha, Vanessa Brierley, Clint Lesch, Londiwe Dhlomo, Keaton Ditchfield, Toni Jean Erasmus, Devon Flemmer, Zane Gillion, Nurit Graff, Nathan Kruger, Sebe Leotlela, Brandon Lindsay, Phumi Mncayi, Raquel Munn, Mark Richardson, Phillip Schnetler and Steven van Wyk.

Winning the highly coveted role of the iconic Tony Manero – made legendary in the 1977 movie starring John Travolta – Daniel Buys (Mamma Mia!, Jersey Boys, West Side Story) declared “my inner Bee Gee just came out at the auditions!”.

Saturday Night Fever is presented by The South African State Theatre and Bernard Jay. Direction is by award-winning Greg Homann (A Voice I Cannot Silence), choreography is by Weslee Swain Lauder, musical direction by Rowan Bakker (this year’s Naledi Award Best Musical Director for Sister Act), with set and lighting design by Denis Hutchinson, costume design by Sarah Roberts and sound design by Trevor Peters.

The original stage musical of Saturday Night Fever was based on Nik Cohn’s 1975 New York Magazine article Tribal Rites of the New Saturday Night and the 1977 film. The famous Bee Gees score – one of the best-selling movie soundtracks of all time – includes Stayin’ Alive, Disco Inferno, Night Fever, More Than a Woman, If I Can’t Have You, Nights on Broadway, How Deep is Your Love and Tragedy. The State Theatre’s production is a new version of the show adapted by American writers Sean Cercone and David Abbinanti: “We went back to the screenplay and edited it down,” says Cercone. “The songs needed to carry the emotional journey.”

Saturday Night Fever previews at the Opera Theatre from September 13th, with its official Opening Night set for September 16th. The season runs until October 9th. Tickets are on sale now at Computicket from R150. Visit www.computicket.com.

The post Saturday Night Fever appeared first on Stage and Screen.

by Louw Mulder

For Joburgers it may be a long drive to Pretoria, but Bernard Jay’s production of Saturday Night Fever will be worth the trip.

This uniquely staged production of the Paramount / RSO film featuring John Travolta, sets the scene for a disco-filled experience, featuring some of South Africa’s top theatre performers, and a creative team with numerous awards to complete the fever.

What impressed me the most about this production, was the set and lightning design, by multi-award winner Denis Hutchinson. No doubt that Hutchinson will be nominated for yet another few awards for the work he has done on Saturday Night Fever. He produced what I think is the most innovative and practical set I have seen, with the lighting design bringing the previous century’s disco era right in front of you. I am convinced that this set design will be setting the trend for future theatre designs.

Set in late July, 1977, Saturday Night Fever tells the story about Tony Manero, played by the very talented Daniel Buys. Buys came into the spotlight when he reached the finals of South African Idols, after which he proclaimed the sky as his limit. With a few theatre productions under his belt, like Mamma Mia, Jersey Boys and West Side Story, Buys held nothing back with this role – even showing-off his well-defined body, during a full costume change on stage.

Not shy of any credit, are the rest of the 30-member cast, under the dance captaincy of Vanessa Brierley. Saturday Night Fever features a diverse, and purely South African Cast, with names like Singin’ in the Rain’s Steven van Wyk, Aspoestertjie’s Clint Lesch, and Starlight Express’s Bongi Mthombeni, to name a few.  The gorgeous LJ Neilson, and perfectly cast Natasha van der Merwe, were amongst the fairer sex, fighting for Manero’s love.

Other names in this very diverse cast, include Matthwy Berry, Cameron Botha, Londiwe Dhlomo, Nurit Graff, Nathan Kruger, Phumi Mncayi, Toni Jean Erasmus, Charmaine Weir-Smith and Mark Richardson, to name only some.

But the performance of the night, must go to Craig Urbani for playing the duel role of Manero’s dad (Frank Manero), as well as Pete, the very camp and flamboyant gym instructor. Urbani’s experience was evident through his versatility on stage, and the demeanour he adapted complimented the role of the actors in the lead, as effectively as one can expect.   His role also contributed immensely to the humour element, which makes this role perfect for him.

Saturday Night Fever is known for its dancing, which makes the work of choreographer, Wesley Swain Lauder, a daunting task. Nevertheless, Lauder created steps and moves that got the whole audience on their feet, energetically executed by the cast he was given to work with. It was just sometimes a little difficult to focus on the main events on stage, with so many things happening at the same time. A busy stage tells a full story, but I think during one or two instances, it overshadowed the leads.

What made up for this minor piece of criticism, is the rest of the production. Award-winning MD, Rowan Bakker showed why he can be seen as one of SA’s leading Musical Directors.  Bakker, who recently lifted his baton in Sweeney Todd and Sister Act, took this score under his direction, creating the necessary sounds, energizing everything happening on stage, with his 10-piece band in the pit.  The sound design of Trevor Peters, Sarah Roberts designing the costumes, and Greg Homann as director, completed the creative team, adding fever to a Saturday night.

Overall, this production is a feel-good, sit back and enjoy musical, created to entertain. Saturday Night Fever is a Mirror-ball of South-Africa’s finest, reflecting all the good reasons why we can be proud of our own.

Saturday Night Fever will run at the South African State Theatre, till October the 9^th. Tickets are available at Computicket, but Stage and Screen is proud to give away 10 sets of tickets, for Saturday, 1 October. You can enter here.

Photos by Sanmari Marais

The post Saturday Night Fever appeared first on Stage and Screen.

New Year’s in July is a special once-off performance based on the concept of Clint Lesch’s own production Brilliant Broadway. This celebration is a musical programme comprising of masterpieces from some of the worlds most loved musicals. Created by Lesch himself, with contractual assistance by Greg Homann, and created by Lesch himself, this one-man show, containing a carefully selected repertoire of musical theatre solos, pays tribute to the creators, composers and lyricists of Broadway.

In this theatrical production Lesch performs numbers composed by Broadway legends like Andrew Lloyd Webber, Leonard Bernstein, Cole Porter and Stephen Sondheim. The entertaining selection includes energetic numbers including Something’s Coming from West Side Story, intense ballads like Not a Day Goes By from Merrily We Roll Along, and thought provoking songs like Everybody says Don’t from the production, Anyone Can Whistle.

Performing in the intimate Live Arts Little Theatre, it will be Lesch himself, his music and the audience. “Music runs through my veins. I have spent most of my life honing the very skills that can turn any music into magic,” Lesch said. “This piece is for everyone who loves a great show-tune and an enriching theatrical experience.”

Executive Producer and owner of the Life Arts Little Theatre, Louw Breytenbach, said that they have been looking a while now for a broadway performer, someone who doesn’t just have the perfect musical talent, but someone who can tell the story through the songs. “Clint is such a special performer. He is someone we believe would take our audience on a journey through the streets of New York, for a brilliantly and uniquely Broadway Experience. Breytenbach said.

Known for being a triple-threat performer with extensive musical theatre training and experience, Lesch can be remembered from his role as Tony in the Playhous production of West Side Story, Kruppe in Joburg Theatre’s Starlight Express, and Kevin in Add Life’s Droom Kind. Other appearances include Reik na die Sterre, Peter Pan, Aspoestertjie and Sneeuwitjie. Lesch also performed as soloist with the Kwazulu-Natal Philharmonic Orchestra in their 2015 Valentine’s Concert under the baton of maestro Daniel Boico.

The latest addition to his fast-growing resumè, is his inclusion in the cast of Bernard Jay’s Saturday Night Fever, which will be on the Opera Stage of the South African State Theatre this September.

Brilliant Broadway already played at the Hilton Arts Festival, the Pop Art Theatre, and the UJ Con Cowan Theatre, with great reviews. Lesch portrays the many intricacies of the range of songs that brilliantly capture the challenges and triumphs of romantic love, personal inner conflict, hope, ambition, and a celebration of life.

Clint Lesch can be followed on Twitter, @Clint_L_P, Instagram, @Clint_L and Facebook, Facebook/Clint-Lesch.

New Year’s In July will be staged at the Life Arts Little Theatre, on 1 July 2016 at 20:00. Tickets are R120 per person. Visit www.lalt.co.za, www.facebook.com/liveartslittletheatre or @lalt_jhb for more detail.

The post New Year's in July appeared first on Stage and Screen.